Page 29 of Hunter
“You’d slap him on the back and ask him if he wanted to go out for a burger. But when a woman says the same thing, you can barely believe her. No offense, but it’s kinda sexist.”
“I’m not trying to be sexist.”
“Trying or not, you’re nailing it.”
“Hey, now. Be nice.”
“No, really. Why are guys allowed to hook up and walk away, but women can’t?”
“They can! I didn’t say they can’t.”
“I think the disconnect here is thatyouliked her and wanted something more with her, andsheisn’t interested in anything serious. It’s a little bit of a role reversal for you.”
“You’re right. I liked her. We had an intense physical connection, andI really enjoyed the time I spent with her. She’s crazy smart and funny and—”
“I get it. I get it. You had a…a good time…” Her voice trails off. For all that Harper can talk about almost anything, she gets squeamish talking about her siblings having sex. “So…I’m not totally sure what the problem is.”
The problem is that I want what Harper has, and Isabella appears to have no interest in anything beyond some above-average, casual fucking.
“We want different things.”
“Sure, in the long-term. But what about now?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, ‘Get out of your own way!’” Harper cries. “You two are trapped together for three weeks, right? You have fun together and great chemistry, right? Why don’t you just…lean into that.Enjoyyour time together. And then, when the show’s over, say goodbye to Isabella, and go your separate ways. You can start the search for Mrs. Hunter Stewart when you get home—after the race is over. But you may as well have fun while you can.”
“What if I want Isabella as more than just a fuck buddy?”
“That’s not an option,” says Harper firmly. “She’s not down for more. If you can’t accept that, stay away from her. But if youcanbe okay with that…”
Her voice trails off again, and I don’t need my imagination to picture how the next few weeks with Isabellacouldlook. I have my memories. And they’re amazing.
“I’ll think about it. Now, can we please talk about something else?”
“Yes!” she says. “In fact, the reason I called was to let you know that Joe and I have set a date!”
“Hey! Alright! That’s good news, Harp! When’s the big day?”
“The second Saturday in September. Evening wedding. After the cruise ships have left port.”
“I love it.”
“And we want you to be a groomsman, of course. Will you walk Gran down the aisle? I’ve got dibs on Paw-Paw.”
“Whatever you need, sis.”
“Thanks, Hunter.” I hear a cry in the background. Harper sighs. “Time’s up. Someone’s hungry.”
“You go,” I tell her. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Think about what I said,” she tells me. “About Isabella.”
“Go feed your baby, Harp.”
“Love you.”
“Love you back,” I say, hanging up the phone.